Our primary practice areas include:

Appeals

Our appellate attorneys have briefed and argued appeals in multiple state and federal jurisdictions on a variety of matters. We have broad experience appellate cases including, most recently appeals addressing telecommunications, taxation and the constitutionality of state statutes. Our attorneys frequently review the merits of appeals with clients and referring counsel to determine the best …

Banking & Finance

Our attorneys have extensive experience leading financing transactions for community, regional and national banks, as well as representing the individual, business and developer in navigating the financing portion of their deals.

Representing the Lender

We represent community, regional and national banks in all types of loan transactions from drafting the various loan documents to conducting …

Business Planning & Organizations

One of the major components of our practice is the representation of small to medium size closely-held businesses. We provide a wide range of services relating to clients’ day-to-day business operations, counsel clients in the selection and formation of business organizations suited to their particular needs, and represent business organizations and their owners in negotiating, …

Business Transactions

One of our most significant practice areas is the representation of closely-held businesses. Unruh Turner Burke & Frees provides a wide range of services to for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations

Construction Litigation

Our commercial litigation, real estate and land use practice groups draw on and combine their extensive experience in litigation and in all facets of municipal, land use and real estate in order to enable Unruh Turner Burke & Frees to offer exceptional representation of clients (whether as plaintiffs or defendants) in most types of real …

Elder Law Solutions ®

Our Elder Law attorneys help to guide families and individuals through the complex issues facing the elderly at all levels of wealth. Elder Law issues often involve questions of real estate, income, estate, and gift taxation, as well as trust, estate, and Medicaid laws and regulations. Since most families and individuals find this maze of …

Governmental

Our governmental law practice augments the in-house legal capabilities of county government by providing counsel in a variety of specialized areas. Drawing on our depth of experience in diverse areas such as real estate, land use, eminent domain, and public finance, our attorneys counsel county government and its agencies on a variety of issues including:

Internal Investigations

Our internal investigation practice provides comprehensive reports, conclusions and recommendations in any number of situations requested by our clients. The internal investigation group knows that time is always a major factor when addressing issues on behalf of our clients, and all of the resources of the group are brought to bear to provide prompt and …

Labor & Employment Law

Our labor and employment law practice provides sophisticated representation to our clients on a variety of matters that arise in the modern workplace. We recognize that employment and labor-related disputes often require immediate attention, and so we are poised to meet those needs of our clients by providing consultation, advice and, if necessary, representation in …

Litigation

Our first rate Litigation Group is staffed by experienced attorneys who provide aggressive advocacy in responding to clients’ needs and are poised to handle a wide variety of sophisticated commercial and consumer related matters. The Firm has experience handling disputes in the following areas:

Mediators & Arbitrators

Litigating disputes in the judicial system takes a substantial financial and emotional toll on both the parties to the litigation and the judicial system itself. Increasingly, parties have turned to arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to avoid the expense and delay typically involved in litigation.

Municipal & School Law

Our municipal and school law practice offers a unique blend of experience in municipal law, municipal authority law and school law. Our attorneys counsel townships, boroughs, zoning hearing boards, municipal authorities and school districts on the wide range of issues confronting these bodies. In addition, we have extensive expertise in representing water, sewer and transportation …

Real Estate Development

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees’ real estate development practice integrates the resources of our first rate land use and real estate transactional attorneys who, working closely with our clients and other members of the development team, guide our clients through the various phases and potential pitfalls of their residential, commercial or retail development projects, providing …

Real Estate Tax Assessment

Our long established and active real estate tax assessment group represents both commercial and residential owners as well as various taxing authorities. Our experience provides our attorneys with a comprehensive understanding of tax assessment law. We put our depth of knowledge to work for our clients to guide them through the tax assessment process, from …

Real Estate Transactions

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees has one of the most active and well-respected real estate practice groups in the region, serving clients who range from some of the most prominent and respected residential and commercial developers in the area to individual real estate investors and individual homeowners.

Taxation

Our firm offers a broad range of individual, business and estate tax planning services. These services supplement our services in other areas such as estate planning and representation of clients in real estate and commercial transactions and the formation of business entities.

We provide comprehensive advice and counseling on the structuring and tax implications of …

Telecommunications, Wireless & Cable

Our telecommunications, wireless and cable team has a full range of resources available to municipal and private clients in this complex and constantly evolving practice area. We craft wireless and right of way ordinances for municipalities, and have litigated tower and infrastructure cases in both state and federal courts. At the same time we track …

Trust and Estate Administration

Our experienced trust and estate lawyers offer a range of services designed to make estate and trust administration simple and effective. These services include assistance in the filing of Federal Estate and Gift Tax Returns, and Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Returns. We also work with the client’s tax advisors, or obtain the services of tax advisors, …

Trust, Estate & Wealth Preservation

Our Firm’s team of trust, estate and wealth preservation attorneys guide clients through the process of trust and estate planning as well as more sophisticated asset protection and federal estate tax planning strategies. We also represent corporate and individual fiduciaries including guardians, executors and trustees and assist them in handling all aspects of estate and …

Zoning & Land Use Law

The attorneys in our zoning and land use practice group help clients navigate the complex zoning, subdivision and land development process, and the myriad of regulations affecting new construction and land development. We work extensively with property owners, developers, municipalities, zoning hearing boards and planning commissions.

We represent developers in hearings before zoning hearing boards, …

Latest News

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Nov

UTBF Listed Among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms In America” For 2019

WEST CHESTER, PA, November 1, 2018 ─ Unruh Turner Burke & Frees (UTBF) was named among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms in America” for 2019. UTBF earned a “Tier 2” ranking for Land Use and Zoning Law in Philadelphia.

Best Lawyers is considered among the first and foremost resources for …

Brian Boreman Speaks at Lehigh Valley SHRM Annual Conference

Brian Boreman is a presenter at the 2018 Lehigh Valley Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference being held October 1st and 2nd 2018 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Brian heads the firm’s Labor & Employment practice and is the Co-Chair of the Litigation Department. Brian’s presentation, An Overview of the Fair Labor …

Unruh Turner Burke & Frees is pleased to announce that the Board of Supervisors for Valley Township unanimously appointed Andrew D.H. Rau and Unruh Turner Burke & Frees at its August 21, 2018 meeting to serve as its Solicitor. Valley Township is located in Western Chester County and utilizes a manager-board form of government.